Recipes

tried and true favorites

Zuppa Toscana

ingredients

  • 1 LB ground hot Italian sausage (mild if you prefer)
  • 1 white onion, diced
  • 5 garlic cloves, minced
  • 4 cups chicken stock (about 2 cans or one 32 oz carton)
  • 1 lb small/baby Yukon Gold potatoes, quartered
  • kale, destemmed and cut roughly into bite-size pieces
  • 1 can of coconut milk
  • sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper
  • italian seasoning (oregano, basil, parsley, thyme, rosemary
  • crushed red pepper flakes if you want it extra spicy

Optional toppings:

Bacon (crispy and crumbled)
Parmesan (shredded or shaved)

directions

Cook sausage in a large stockpot over medium-high heat until browned and cooked through, breaking the sausage into small pieces as it cooks.

While the meat is browning, chop up the onions and mince the garlic.

Use a slotted spoon to transfer the cooked sausage to a bowl, reserving about a tablespoon of grease in the pot, and discarding excess grease. Set sausage in bowl aside.

Add onions to the stockpot (in the tablespoon of reserved grease), and sauté over medium-high heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

While onions are cooking, quarter the baby gold potatoes.

Turn heat down to medium, add garlic and sauté for 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently.

Add the chicken stock, potatoes, and cooked sausage. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to med-low.

Simmer for 15 minutes, or until potatoes are tender.

Turn heat to low, stir in the kale and coconut milk, and give it another few minutes to simmer together.

Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Garnish with the bacon bits & parmesan if desired.

Thai chili, pepper & ginger chicken

ingredients

  • 1/2 c. dark brown sugar
  • 1/4 c. fish sauce
  • 1/8 c. water
  • 3 tblsp rice vinegar
  • 1/2 tblsp cornstarch
  • 1 tsp finely grated ginger, or fresh ginger juice
  • 1 tsp minced garlic
  • 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 thai chilies, diced, most seeds
  • 1 lb boness skinless chicken thighs, 1″ pieces
  • 1 shallot, thinly sliced
  • 1/2 tblsp olive oil
  • Garnish: cilantro sprigs

Other garnish ideas:

  • raw cashews
  • plain Greek yogurt
  • fresh bean sprouts

directions

Chicken Bundles

ingredients

  • 2 cups of crab or faux crab (pollock)
  • 2 cups swiss cheese
  • 1 cup bread crumbs or diced
  • bread cubed small
  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  • 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
  • ½ onion chopped and sautéed until soft
  • 3 stalks celery finely diced and sautéed until soft
  • 1 tsp marjoram
  • 1 tsp basil
  • 1 tsp thyme
  • 1 tablespoon fresh parsley chopped fine
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ¼ tsp pepper
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

directions

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Sauté onions and celery until soft, add to grated swiss cheese and all the other ingredients.

Put onto chicken breast which has been pounded very thin.

One chicken breast can be cut in half to make to bundles.

Roll and then secure with toothpicks if necessary.

Dredge the chicken bundle in melted butter and then roll in flour. Drizzle with more butter and a touch of paprika.

Bake at 350 for 45 minutes or until golden brown.

 

Cashew Tofu with Broccoli & Red Bell Pepper Rice

ingredients

• 16 ounces tofu, extra firm
• 2 ¼ cups vegetable stock
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 cup medium grain Calrose rice
• 2 cups broccoli florets, cut into small size pieces
• 1 red bell pepper, cut into ¼ in strips

For the sauce:

• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon fresh ginger
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon chili flakes
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce

For the toppings:
• 3 scallions, thinly sliced
• ⅓ cup cashews, toasted and chopped

directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Remove tofu from packaging. Drain liquid. Slice in half longways.

3. Line a small sheet tray with paper towel. Place tofu on paper towel. Top with something heavy or apply pressure. You want to release as much liquid as possible from tofu. Let sit for 30 minutes, or longer if desired. Remove to cutting board, cut into 1-inch cubes.

4. On a large rimmed sheet tray, pour vegetable stock and stir in rice. Add red bell pepper and broccoli followed by the tofu cubes. Cover with foil. When placing in the oven, keep tray leveled so not to spill the liquid. Cook for 30 to 35 minutes.

5. In a bowl, whisk all ingredients for the sauce, until sugar is dissolved.

6. Remove tofu and vegetables from the oven. Pour the sauce over then garnish with scallions and cashews. Stir until combined.

7. Fluff with a fork and serve. 

Carnitas

ingredients

  • 4-5 pounds boneless pork shoulder
  • fine salt
  • freshly cracked black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon avocado oil or olive oil
  • 1 lime for serving
  • sauce (below)

Sauce Ingredients:

  • 1 cup beer, stock, or Mexican Coca-Cola (glass bottle)
  • 6 cloves garlic, roughly minced
  • 1/2 cup fresh orange juice
  • the juice of one lime
  • 1 tablespoon ground cumin
  • 1 tsp. dried oregano
  • 1 tsp. fine sea salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly-cracked black pepper

For serving:

Corn tortillas, cilantro, diced onion, salsa or pico de gallo, sour cream, lettuce…

directions

In a bowl whisk together sauce ingredients. Set aside.

Cut pork shoulder (aka Boston butt) into 2″ chunks. Season those (all sides) with salt and pepper.

Set Instant Pot to “Sauté” and add oil, when iPot reads “Hot”, put as much of the pork chunks that fit without touching in a single layer.

Sear those, turning every few minutes, until the pork is dark browned on all sides possible.

Transfer meat to separate plate, and repeat with the remaining pork in batches, until all pieces are seared.

Press “Cancel” to turn off the heat.

Pour in sauce and toss. Close lid and set to “Sealing”.

Cook on manual high pressure for 55 minutes,

followed by a natural release (about 10-15 minutes).

Release any remaining pressure, remove lid, shred meat with two forks.

Set oven broiler to high. Transfer shredded meat onto a large baking sheet, lined with foil, spreading it out.

Spoon1-2 tbsp. of remaining juices over the meat evenly.

Broil 3-5 minutes, until the edges of the pork begin browning and crisping up. Keep a close eye on broiling.

Remove from oven and add another tbsp. of juices atop the meat evenly. Return to oven.

Broil for another minute or so, for a final crisp up.

Remove from oven and pour over any remaining juices.

Mango Avocado Salad

ingredients

  • 1 medium mango, diced
  • 1 small avocado, diced
  • juice of 1 lime
  • 1-2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
  • 1-2 teaspoons tamari or soy sauce
  • 2 chopped scallions, diced
  • toasted sesame seeds

directions

Dice mango, dice avocado, quarter the lime, slice the scallions thin

Mix sesame oil, lime juice, and soy sauce

Mix the mango pieces with the avocado pieces, and pour the dressing over it all. Top with scallions and toasted sesame seeds.

 

i'm curious about these

Italian Beef biscuits

ingredients

  • 2 tablespoon olive oil
  • 3/4 cup cup onion diced, (or 2 Tbsp dried minced)
  • 2 pounds ground beef
  • 2 teaspoons garlic minced
  • 1 teaspoons salt
  • 2 cups spaghetti sauce
  • 2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
  • 2 cups shredded Parmesan
  • 2 8-count tube refrigerated biscuits, “flaky” type
  • 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

In skillet over medium heat, sauté onions in olive oil until translucent and soft (3-5 minutes).  Add in ground beef, together with salt and garlic, and cook until beef is no longer pink; remove from heat and drain.

Add in spaghetti sauce, Italian seasoning and Parmesan cheese and mix well.

Spray muffin tins with non-stick cooking spray.

Split each biscuit in half along the flaky layers (so there is a top half and a bottom half).

Take each half and flatten into a circle approximately 4-5 inches in diameter.

Press each circle into the bottom and along the sides of muffin cups.

Spoon 2-3 tablespoons of beef mixture into the center of each.

Bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 minutes.  Remove from oven.

To serve immediately:

Sprinkle tops of biscuit cups with shredded mozzarella cheese.  Bake an additional 3-4 minutes until cheese has melted and is bubbly.

To freeze for later:

Cool baked cups to room temperature.  Do not add shredded cheese.  Place biscuit cups on baking sheet and place sheet in freezer for one hour or overnight.  Then transfer biscuit cups to freezer bag and return to freezer until needed.

To prepare after freezing:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.  Defrost biscuit cups overnight in refrigerator (or cook directly from frozen).  Place biscuit cups on baking sheet.

Bake for 10-15 minutes (or longer if baking from frozen) until heated through.

Remove from oven, sprinkle tops with shredded mozzarella cheese, and bake an additional 3-4 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly.  .

Scroll to Top